Secret: Debunking The Many Newsletter Myths!

Debunking The Many Newsletter Myths!

For some reason newsletters production seems to virtually "attract" legends and myths.

Let's start by debunking some of the myths that have grown up around the subject. I'm letting you in on these secrets because if you believe them, you'll never end up being an award winning newsletter editor. We don't have space to deal with them all here , but here are three from the list right here.

Myth 1 - Don't I need to be a professional writer?
You don't need to be a novelist to write a newsletter. You need a plan and a structure and then you really are ready to start.

The tips I'm giving you are to get you started. What you do need though is the ability to speak to people, ideally a sample of your readership, and ask them for ideas. What would they like to see in the newsletter?

So you certainly don't need to be a novelist or a writer. Your job is to try and get inside the heads of your readership and give them what they want.


Myth 4 - Won't I need to be an expert in everything I write about? Don't think you have to have the ability to write about all topics. Write about what's of interest to you. And, if you want to tackle a subject that you don't know a great deal about, then ask someone who does.

Most newsletters articles do not descend into great detail so, once you've got the facts together, you will find you can edit an article on virtually any subject even if you don't have personal knowledge.

I was editing an article about nuclear science - a subject that I do not know or understand anything about. I was still able to edit down the facts and present a short 450 word article that made perfect sense to my readership. You can do the same no matter how complex the
subject matter.


Myth 9 - My newsletter is being paid for by my organization, so that's all it should talk about.

This is really about striking a balance between product-oriented and Value-Added material.

Some people still think that “every article in my newsletter must feature my product and/or company, club, society”…(fill in the blank).

But as I've already touched on, one of a newsletter's many strengths is "credibility". If your newsletter contains no solid, practical information, readers are more likely to perceive it as 100 percent sales-oriented, and less likely to read the next issue. Strive for a balance by providing some useful information that doesn't require purchasing your product or service.

I think this balance can be as much as three-quarters Value Added Interest material and just quarter product/service or "about you" orientated. Come to your own balance, but please keep the balance in mind at all times.